Earphone Catching Neckwear

ABSTRACT

A system for preventing earphones or ear buds, when separated from ears of a user, from falling to the floor or ground, or dangling. The system includes an endless loop of neckwear proportioned to closely fit about a neck of a user preferably above the collarbone and a first clasp having a void space which, at its maximum size, is sufficiently small to preclude a slippage of the earphones or ear buds through it and to maintain left and right earphone cords thereof proximally the neck and torso of the user.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 13/490,859, filed Jun. 7, 2012, which claimed the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 61/644,627, filed May 9, 2012. Both applications are incorporated herein in their entirety under 35 USC 119(e) and 120.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of in ear headphones, earphones and ear buds.

Listening to music through headphones has become more and more common with the advent of MP3 players and smartphones. Ear headphones are a more compact, convenient, comfortable version of the over-ear headphone. But one drawback of the in-ear design is that earphones or ear buds frequently fall out of the user's ears. This is particularly common while involved in activity such as working-out at the gym, where sweat may gather in the ear of the listener, causing the earphones to slip-out. The within invention functions to catch ear buds or the like when they fall or they may be used to control the earphones when the listener wishes to remove them.

There are numerous headphones on the market designed to overcome the problem, these by forcing the earphones to stay in the ear. They however tend to be bulky and uncomfortable. The present invention keeps ear buds or the like from falling on the floor or ground and prevents the wires thereof from becoming entangled in the legs of the user without sacrificing comfort, convenience, aesthetics or hygiene.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

There is provided a system for preventing earphones or ear buds, when separated from ears of a user, from falling to the floor or ground, or dangling unsafely. The system comprises an endless loop of neckwear proportioned to closely fit about a neck of a user preferably above the collarbone thereof. Said loop includes a first clasp having a void space, said void space at its maximum size sufficiently small to preclude a slippage of said earphones or ear buds therethrough and to maintain left and right earphone cords thereof proximally to the neck of a user.

An object of the invention is to protect an user's earphones from dirt and bacteria by providing a system to avoid a system to avoid their contact with the floor of ground.

A further object is to provide a system to reduce the need for cleaning or replacing the headphones as often, thus saving time and money.

It is a yet further object to enhance user safety in the use of earphones and ear buds during exercise.

The above and yet other objects and advantages will become apparent from the hereinafter set forth Brief Description of the Drawings, Detailed Description of the Invention and Claims appended herewith.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a prior art medallion suspension element for use with a necklace.

FIG. 2 is a view of the prior art suspension element of FIG. 1 shown in use with a typical prior art necklace. The user thereof is also utilizing earphones and listening to music from an MP3 Player or Smartphone.

FIG. 3 is a view of the prior art, further to the view of FIG. 2, in which the earphones or ear buds of the user have detached or separated from the ears of the user.

FIG. 4 is a sketch, sequential to that of FIG. 3, showing the manner in which earphones or ear buds are able to slip through a suspension means of the type shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view in accordance with the present invention in which a necklace is provided with a first clasp and a second clasp, in which the first clasp thereof is shown in an open position and the second clasp in a closed position.

FIG. 6 is a view, sequential to that of FIG. 5, showing the engagement element of the first clasp before it engages earphone cords of the audio player.

FIG. 7 is a view, further to FIG. 5 showing the appearance of the first clasp when closed including a void space thereby provided therein.

FIG. 8 is a view, further to that of FIG. 6 showing the clasp closed and a void space thereof fully engaging the left and right earphone cords between the earphones and the audio device.

FIG. 9 is a view, further to FIG. 8, showing the manner in which earphones or ear buds are engaged by the first clasp of the system in the event that the earphones are removed from the ears of the user or are accidentally detached therefrom.

FIG. 10 is a view, further to FIG. 9, showing the manner in which the void space of the first clasp can engage the earphones or ear plugs, preventing the falling thereof to the floor or ground.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The prior art, as is best known to the inventor, is reflected in U.S. Design Pat. No. 520,738 (2006) to Tarantino, which is a necklace having a pendant engaging clasp. Therein, the pendant may hold an audio device such as a cellular telephone.

FIG. 1 is an enlarged view of the pendant or audio device engaging element 10 of Tarantino. As may be noted, this element includes a first loop 12 of necklace 14 (see FIG. 2). Attached thereto is a small lobster-type clasp 16 from which depends a larger loop 18. In FIG. 2 may be seen the appearance of the article of Tarantino, if worn in connection with an audio device 20, air buds 22, left and right earphone cords 24 and an integrated earphone cord 26. The cord 26 may of course be placed within loop 18 of the article of elements 12/16/18 of Tarantino. See FIG. 1. Integrated cord 26 will of course be placed through loop 18 by most users of the system as shown in FIG. 2. Sown in FIG. 3 is the appearance of the system of Tarantino where earphones or earplugs 22 are disconnected from the ears 28 of the user. In such event, left and right earphone cords 24 and 25 will fall downward in the direction of floor or ground until a relative balance in mass between cords 24, 25 and ear buds 22 about a balance point within loop 18, and audio device 20 and lower integrated earphone cord 26, is achieved. In almost all cases, the result thereof will be that ear buds 22 and their associated cords 24 and 25 will extend substantially further downwardly to the floor or legs of the user than will the audio device 20 and integrated cord 26. This, in itself, can give rise to a significant safety hazard should it occur in a gym or during exercise, in that cords 24, 25 and ear buds 22 may easily become entangled the equipment that an individual is exercising upon.

Additionally, as shown in FIG. 4, if earphone cords 24 and 25, and earphones/ear buds 22 do not become entangled in the equipment upon which one is exercising, an alternative result is shown, namely, that ear buds 22 will slip entirely through the large loose ring 28 in the article of Tarantino. This event is indicated by arrow 30. Therein, earphones/ear buds 22 will readily slip through loop 18 in which the ear buds and cords 24, 25, and a part of integrated cord 26 will certainly reach the floor or ground or have a yet higher probability of becoming entangled within machinery upon which the individual may be exercising. Minimally, earphones/plugs 22 become exposed to unhygienic conditions which will require the cleaning thereof and may be readily broken resultant of the fall to the ground or one stepping on them.

Accordingly, a need has arisen for an improvement over systems such as that of Tarintino which assure that the earphones/ear buds with audio devices including MP3s and IPhones not present a risk to the user by reason of entanglement within the legs or exercise equipment or breakage by inadvertently stepping upon the earphones/buds 22 should they fall to the floor or ground in the manner shown in FIG. 4.

Shown in FIG. 5 is an endless loop of neckwear 32, which may take the form of a necklace employed in the present system which is particularly proportioned to closely fit about the neck of a user and above the collarbone thereof, as may be seen in FIG. 6. At the front neckwear or necklace 32 is provided a first clasp 34 having, when closed, a void space 36 (see FIG. 7) therein. As may be noted in FIGS. 5 and 7, clasp 34 is attached to necklace 32 by a small ring 38 and the clasp is opened (shown in FIG. 5) by lever arm 40 of the clasp moving upwardly as shown by arrow 42 which in turn will cause arm 44 to open in direction 46. In combination, namely, the closing of first clasp 34 is shown in FIG. 7. This occurs when arm 40 is depressed in direction 48, thereby bringing arm 44 into its closed position against arm 50 of the clasp, thus creating void space 36. The typical interior dimensions of void space 36 are X millimeters by Y millimeters, and the exterior dimensions of clasp 34 typically fall in a range of about 20 millimeters to about 33 millimeters. If the void space were a circle, its diameter would be about Z millimeters.

First clasp 34 upon the front of the neck of a user is shown in the view of FIG. 6. However, further shown in FIG. 6 is audio listening device 52 proportioned to fit into a pocket 54 of pants or trunks of a user. As may be further noted in FIG. 6, the length of respective left and right earphone/bud cords 24/25 in combination with integrated cord 27 provides sufficient slack for movement of the head and body of the user without excess or unnecessary slack which may, itself, present a safety issue in many exercise environments. FIG. 6 further shows clasp 34 just prior to engagement of left and right earphone/bud cords 24/25, just above a point 56 of the joinder thereof into integrated cord 27. When cord 24 and 25 are so aligned, first clasp 34 is then closed in the manner shown in FIG. 8. Just above point 56 of joinder of left and right earphone cords 24/25, unitary cord 27 continues onto audio device 52. From FIG. 8 may be appreciated the fundamental stability afforded to cords 24, 25, and 27. Thereby during normal use of the inventive system, the cords are kept close to the body of the user by reason of the dimension of endless loop of neckwear or necklace 32 above the collarbone of the user so that these wires and, with it, audio device 52 are not permitted to flop about the body of the user which, in itself, enhances the risk that earphones/buds 22 may fall out of the ears of the user and become entangled with the legs of the user or exercise equipment. See FIGS. 2 and 3.

As may be noted in FIGS. 5 and 7, neckwear 32 is also provided with a second clasp 58 which is typically situated behind the neck of the user and which may readily engage any of the links 60 of the necklace necessary to achieve a dimension of the necklace which will closely fit about the neck of the user and above the collarbone thereof (see FIG. 6). Therefore, necklace 32 will preferably include multiple links 60 which may be engaged by second clasp 58 to accommodate users of different neck sizes. Alternatively, endless loop neckwear which consists of a single strip of material, such as leather, may simply be tied behind the neck of the user at a comfortable.

In usage of the present inventive system, if earphones/buds 22 are either purposefully removed, or accidently detached from ears 62 of the user, the immediate result thereof is shown in FIG. 9, namely, that void space 36 of clasp 34 will simply engage the right earphone/bud cords 24/25 and hold the same within void space 36 of the clasp 34. If, at that point, wires 24/25 to the ear buds 22 are not stabilized, or the user does not realize that the ear buds have fallen from his ears, the worst which can then occur is shown in FIG. 10, namely, is that earphones/buds 22 will simply engage void space 36 of the first clasp 34 since the dimension of such void space is less than the smallest aggregate dimension of earphones/buds 22. In other words, the preferred interior dimension of void space 36, namely, about 12 millimeters to about 15 millimeters or, alternatively, if the void space is essentially circular, a diameter of about 13.5 millimeters will preclude ear buds 22 from falling from clasp 34, thereby avoiding the hazardous conditions which exist in prior art systems, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

It should be understood that various clasps, other than the so-called lobster clasp 34 shown herein may be readily employed to achieve the objects and functions of the present system as set forth above.

While there has been shown and described above the preferred embodiment of the instant invention it is to be appreciated that the invention may be embodied otherwise than is herein specifically shown and described and that, within said embodiment, certain changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the parts without departing from the underlying ideas or principles of this invention as set forth in the Claims appended herewith. 

I claim:
 1. A system for preventing earphones or ear buds, when separated from ears of a user, from falling to the floor or ground, or dangling unsafely, the system comprising: (a) an endless loop of neckwear proportioned to closely fit about a neck of a user thereof; and (b) within a first part of said loop, a first clasp having a void space, at its maximum area, sufficiently small to preclude a slippage of said earphones or ear buds therethrough and to maintain left and right earphone cords thereof proximally to said neckwear.
 2. The system as recited in claim 1, in which said endless loop of neckwear defines a necklace.
 3. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a second clasp having a smaller void space than said first clasp, said second clasp situated behind the neck of a user when said neckwear is worn.
 4. The system as recited in claim 3, including: a generally circular element within the rear of said neckwear, said element engageable by an arm of said second clasp.
 5. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a cord length between said first clasp and an audio device, said cord having a length at least equal to a distance between said first clasp and the ears of said user of the system.
 6. The system as recited in claim 1, in which edge dimensions of said first clasp define a range of about 20 millimeters to about 33 millimeters.
 7. The system as recited in claim 5, in which a length of said earphone cords beneath said first clasp defines a length sufficient to place said audio device into pockets of pants or trunks of a user of the system.
 8. The system as recited in claim 7, in which said endless loop of neckwear defines a necklace.
 9. The system as recited in claim 8, in which said necklace includes both of said clasps intergrally formed therewith.
 10. The system as recited in claim 9, further comprising: a second clasp having a smaller void space than said first clasp, said second clasp situated behind the neck of a user when said neckwear is worn.
 11. The system as recited in claim 9, including: a generally circular element within the rear of said neckwear, said element engagable by an arm of said second clasp.
 12. The system as recited in claim 8, in which edge dimensions of said first clasp are in a range of about 20 millimeters to about 33 millimeters.
 13. The system as recited in claim 8, in which interior dimensions of said clasp, when engaged, define a range of about 12 to about 15 millimeters.
 14. The system as recited in claim 8, in which a maximum interior diameter of the void space of said clasp, if circular, defines a dimension of about 13.5 millimeters. 